Esports (or electronic sports) is a term for competitive video gaming. It differs from standard video gaming in that esports are competitive (human-vs-human) and usually have an engaging spectator element, just like traditional sports (Sacco, 2016).
The potential and scope of Esports can be demonstrated by the sheer number of children who play video games. Ofcom (2023) suggests that nine in 10 children between 3 and 17 play video games.
Esports is not a new phenomenon - its roots are owed to video gaming in the late twentieth century. In the early 1970s, through the games Pong and Space Invaders, the popularity and visibility of esports began to rise. An estimated 750,000 Space Invader machines were operational globally, illustrating the widespread appeal of video gaming at the time.
The landscape of esports witnessed a significant transformation with the emergence of online games in the early 2000s, and then 2010 heralded a transformative shift with streaming platforms, notably Twitch, which redefined esports content consumption. This platform facilitated unprecedented levels of interaction among fans, players, and spectators, enabling the live viewing of matches from the comfort of one's home.
